Singapore is world’s third most innovative country in biotech

Singapore is just behind the US and Denmark in the Top 50 biotech innovator list published by Scientific American magazine’s annual Worldview ranking for 2012

Singapore has been in the top three positions for the last three years

Boston: Singapore has emerged as the world's 3rd most biotech innovative country in the annual ranking of countries according to their score for innovation in biotech, prepared by leading science magazine, Scientific American Worldview. Singapore has a score of 35.57 and only the US (38) and Denmark (37.18) are ahead of the island nation in this annual ranking. (See the full rank list)

Releasing the 4th annual ranking at the BIO convention, Scientific American's editorial director, Mr Mike May, said the huge investments made in the sector by the local government as well the political stability and predictable regulatory regime propelled Singapore to the top once again.

The annual exercise, done by Scientific American Worldview, in association with the US Biotech Industry Organization (BIO), since 2009, has had Singapore in the top three position for the last three years.

Singapore's neighbour Malaysia ranks 29th in the list. Taiwan is 21st, South Korea is 22. The two Asian giants China (43) and India (47) figure too low in the list.

"The Scientific American Worldview offers an assessment tool-a way for a country to review, in an objective manner, its biotechnology-innovation performance and the behaviours that generated that result," remarked the magazine's publishing director Mr Jeremy Abbate while releasing the results. " From there, the biotechnology experts, government officials and other related parties can formulate a plan to enhance their home grown and imported capabilities in this innovation-driven field."

3Comment

The criteria used to gauge innovation in this study is obviously very, very flawed. PhD's yes there are many biotech PhDs working in the banking sector. Ease of doing business, yes Singapore is the best in the world. Government support for the industry, yes they have put billions into developing the sector. But what does this have to do with real innovation in the sector? To say Singapore is close to the US in innovation is just a bizarre statement, ahead of UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, even Shanghai and Tokyo? Honestly, there is more biotech innovation happening in my fridge than in Singapore at the moment.

As someone who has worked in the biotech sector in Singapore for the past 8 years I feel compelled to respond this ridiculous claim. I came here from the SF Bay area -- a place where there is an authentically vibrant biotech innovation environment. I can say with conviction that the level of innovation in the Bay Area alone is orders of magnitude beyond Singapore's. I have no idea how Scientific American arrives at its numbers, but, a methodology that differentiates The United States biotech sector from
Singapore's by about 3% is a stupendously flawed methodology. There is more biotech innovation in the Harvard-MIT axis than in the Little Red Dot. Heck, there is more biotech innovation in George Church's single Harvard lab. Singapore has made significant investments in the area and also made real progress. But honestly as a innovation center in biotech Singapore is hypoxic. #3 globally? Please.

Agreed, definitely not a biotech hub or number 3 in the world-ridiculous. Also, hypoxic for true innnovation, but over saturation for the infringers looking for US based products to sell and claim as their own. Seriously, that is why companies should seek patent protection.

This is great news for Singapore and Asia in general, as neighbours like Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea are still a ways behind. Do you think any other countries will move forward in the next few years?
Posted by Justine Williams (Reposted from Vaccine Knowledge Network Group on LinkedIn)